Apparatus foe



NITED STATES PATNT OFFICE.

ISAAC GALLUP, OF MYSTIC BRIDGE, CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR TURNING THE LEAVES OF MUSIC-BOOKS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 12,724, dated April 17, 1855.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, IsiiAc GALLUP, of Mystic Bridge, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improve-ment in Apparatuses for Turning the Leaves of Music- Books; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a view of an apparatus constructed after my invention, attached to a music rack, which is set inclining. Fig. 2, is a plan or top view of the saine, in a horizontal position, the top of the case contain ing the operating mechanism being removed. Fig. 3, is a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus through the line y, y, in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of the top of the case through the line as, af, in Figs. 3 and 5. Fig. 5V is an inverted plan of the same.

Vherever similar letters of reference oc' cur in each of the several figures they indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to an improvement in the leaf turning apparatus patented by Messrs. Bridgeham and Stewart in 1854, and is designed to simplify the same and render it more convenient for being operated by the performer, and `less liable to become deranged, and also more perfect or sure in its operation.

The firstpart of said improvement consists in a simple combination and arrangementof parts for operating the fingers, said arrangement avoiding the necessity of -einploying a separate contrivance for returning the leaves, and the liability of derangement while the leaves are being returned for the purpose of repeating a portion of the time.

The second part consists in combining an additional spring with the spring usually employed for returning the linger and leaf to their original places after the tune has been played, said additional spring being arranged to exert strain in a contiary direction to the ordinary spring and to serve for removing the tension of the last named spring from 0H the finger while it is at rest between the leaves. This spring will also aid in operating' or turning the finger, it always being distended equally with the ordinary spring when the finger is at rest and consequently naturally contracts when the finger is moved and exerts strain, with the device which operates the finger, upon the finger barrel or pulley and aids said device in turning it. r 1

The third part consists in providing each of the keys a little above the center of their length with a notch or stop and in combination therewith arranging on the under side of the top of the case a spring catch to iit in the notch or under the stop, when the key is pressed down sufficiently far. By this contrivance the lingers are placed under the immediate control of the performer, and can be locked and unlocked with ease and facility and the inconvenience arising from the employment of a separate device for locking the linger, so as to prevent the leaf returning before the tune is finished, andfor unlocking the same when it is desired to return the sheets for the purpose of repeating a portion of the time, is avoided.

The fourth part consists in extending each of the fingers in suoli a manner that they are capable of lifting and supporting the leaf more perfectly than heretofore and the necessity of using a spring or making one oftheir prongs elastic for insuring the turning of the leaves is avoided and thus the liability of the leaves being torn or injured by the action of the spring is overcome.

T o enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, A, represents an oblong case attached fast to the music rack B, this case contains all the operating mechanism, which is hid from view by the top A.

C, C, C, C, are the fingers which turn the leaves. They are attached to barrel pulleys D, which turn loose on a stationary pin or axis E, and are arranged as shown in the drawing. These fingers are made with two prongs, as usual, so as to lift the leaf and turn it, and with the exception of their being provided with -an extension from the point c, to the point b and each made with both of its prongs stiff, they would be similar to the fingers usually employed for turning music leaves. By extending the fingers from a, to Z), they are rendered capable of better supporting, and also of turning the leaves more evenly than the ordinary iingers, which are generally provided with elastic prongs or springs for the purpose of gripping the' sheet firmly. The use of springs'I consider objectionable as it renders the operation of placing the leaves between the prongs tedious and also subjects the music leaves to considerable wear and tear.

F, F, F, F, are a series of rods or bars attached by one of their ends loosely to a pin C, and by their opposite ends to cords (Z, CZ, d, cl, which are attached fast to and wind on one end of the barrel pulleys D, D, D, D, as shown in the drawings; these rods or bars form levers when connected with the pulleys D, by the cords d, d, CZ, (l, as shown, and serve for operating the lingers.

G, G, Gr, G, are the keys for operating these levers, these keys are attached to the bars F, F, F, F, and pass up through the top of the case, and have their upper ends provided with but-tons or knobs which stand a short distance above said top as shown in Figs. l, 3 and 1i, said knobs being numbered from 1 and Ll inclusive and serving for the performer to place and press her finger upon when she desires to turn over a leaf.

H, H, H, H, are the ordinary springs, attached by one of their ends to set screws, e, e, e, e, and by their opposite ends by cords, g, g, g, g, to the barrel pulleys D, D, D, D. As shown, these springs are keptalways distended to a certain extent; their oflice is to return the fingers with'the leaves after the tune is finished.

I, I, I, I, are the additional springs which I employ in connection with the springs H. The springs I, are attached fast to the bottoin of the case A, and by their opposite ends, by cords f, f, f, f, to the barrel pulleys D, D, D, D, the cords f, being so placed on the pulleys that they wind in contrary directions to the cords g, g, g, g, and consequently the springs act againsteach other while the apparatus is still, and when the apparatus is in operation and the lingers nio-ving in the are of a circle Fig. 3, those serve to exert strain on the pulleys D, and give it a motion in the direction of the arrows 1, 1, and thus aid the levers in turning the lingers, the springs l owing to their being of the saine power as H, also prevent the fingers being thrown back, when let free, with such force, they likewise remove the strain of the springs H, from the lingers while at rest.

J, is the stop which is formed on each of the keys and K, is the spring catch which lits against this stop it is arranged under oblong holes z., in which the keys play up and down and laterally to a slight extent, these holes are formed in the top of the case A', as shown in Fig. 5, and allow of slight lateral play so that the keys may be freed from the catch. M, are vertical guide rods for keeping the lever bars in place.

rFhe operation is as follows. The performer cn the piano forte, places the leaves of a piece of music between the prongs of the lingers, as shown in Fig. 1.

After playing that portion of the tune on the lst page she presses her finger upon the knob Nofl, and thereby forces the key and lever bar down to the position shown in red Figs. l, 2, 3 and et, as the lever bar descends it causes the barrel pulley D, to turn and the cord g, of the spring H, to wind upon it in the direction of the arrow 2, and the cord of the spring I, to unwind in the direction of the arrow 3; owing to the co-rd of H, winding up, the spring H, is distended and thus prepared for bringing back the linger and leaf, and owing to the cord of I, unwindiiig, the spring l contracts and thus aids in turning the barrel pulley which carries the linger. As soon as the linger occupies the position shown in red Figs. l and 2, the spring catch occupies a place above the stop of the key and thus prevents it rising and the linger returning with the leaf. The performer in this manner operates all the keys, or as many as there are leaves to be used, after which she moves the keys laterally to a small extent, and thus disengages them from the spring catches, the keys being let free rise and allow the bars to occupy their former place, they being caused to assume their original position by the springs H, in doing which they cause the fingers with the leaves to return to their former place, when the latter are removed and others employed if desirable. As the lingers are returned by the force of the springs H, they and the music leaves would be injured were not the force o-f the springs H, counter-acted by the springs l, and after the fingers are at rest they would be subjected to strain were not the power of said springs removed from them by the springs 1.

l do not claim the revolving self adjusting pulleys or linger carriers, but

Vhat 1 do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The employment and arrangement of the swinging bars F, F, F, F, and keys Gr, G, G, G, in combination with said revolving self adjusting pulleys or linger carriers, D, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The employment substantially as herein shown of the spring I, in combination with the spring H, for the purpose set forth.

3. )Providing a stop J on each of the keys (if, and a spring catch K on the under side of the top A, of the case A to lit against said stop, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. Providing each of the lingers C, with an extension from a, to l), for the purpose herein specified.

SAAC GALLUP. `Witnesses BENJ. GALL'UP, E. P. RANDALL. 

